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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22721995">Sand Beneath our Feet</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/StreetNerd/pseuds/StreetNerd'>StreetNerd</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Original Series (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Hurt Spock (Star Trek), Hurt/Comfort, Nausea, Protective Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Sick Spock (Star Trek), Stubborn Spock (Star Trek)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 16:00:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22721995</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/StreetNerd/pseuds/StreetNerd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A Spock Sick Fic! Takes place in the aftermath of the landing party getting sucked into a dimensionless void - upon being phased back out of the void and onto the warm sands of a desert planet, everyone is a bit shaken up. While McCoy was able to treat all the human landing party members for shock, conventional shock medicine does not work on Vulcans. As a result, the rest of the crew recover quickly from the discomfort caused by the dimensional phase - but Spock suffers major discomfort and sickness. The landing party must walk to a rendezvous point for beam-up. McCoy tries to convince a very determined but very sick Vulcan to cooperate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock, Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>113</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. People Getting Re-Oriented</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi everyone!!!!!! This is my favorite community ever!!!!!!!!! I am writing this little short story thingie for fun. I really like writing hurt / comfort stories with Spock, as you can tell?!? Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy, and that at least someone somewhere in the world has their day brightened a bit by this little story!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The landing party get themselves oriented after being thrown out of a dimensionless void back onto the desert planet of Tridawn-IV.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A terrible twisting sensation wracked through his body. He convulsed as his entire body cramped up, a hundred times worse than anything he had ever felt in his life. His ears were tortured by a deafening, thundering ringing, and dizziness as he had never felt it before overcame him. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. </p><p>Leonard McCoy’s head hit the warm sandy ground of Tridawn-IV hard. He immediately curled in on himself, wondering whether or not he was going to be sick. Then, after a few moments, he lifted his head and spat sand out of his mouth. Vertigo threatened to overwhelm him, and he put a hand out to steady himself as he sat up. </p><p>The sun beat down on the away-team. It was a welcome feeling after the hellish void they had been kept prisoner in for the past six hours. McCoy had to squint and shield his eyes, as he had grown unaccustomed to its brightness, and his eyes were beginning to stream. He tried to shout to the others, but his voice caught in his throat, and was overcome by a violent fit of coughing. He rolled over onto his hand and knees to steady himself as he tried to regain control over his breathing.</p><p>“Is everyone alright!!” McCoy heard Jim’s voice bellow hoarsely.</p><p>“Jim!” McCoy managed to yell between coughs. </p><p>“Aye!” Called another familiar voice, “but I ain’t never doin that again! From now on, I’m stayin down in the engine rooms with me barins, where I belong!” </p><p>McCoy managed to clear his eyes in time to see Jim helping a shaky Scotty up from the sand. “And I’ll be wantin a pay raise!” </p><p>The engineer’s eyes twinkling, despite his shaking hands and pale face. Jim clapped Scotty on the shoulder, and turned to face McCoy. </p><p>“Bones - you alright?”</p><p>McCoy groaned luxuriously as he lifted himself off the ground. “Well if you consider an aching head, a churning stomach, and a near-death experience alright, then sure I am.” Jim raised an eyebrow, and put a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>Bones nodded acknowledgement, and then proceeded to pull out his med-scanner, and run it over Jim. The captain waved him off, and gestured his head toward the rest of the party, as he pulled his communicator out of his pocket.</p><p>As Jim paged the Enterprise, McCoy went to work doing some quick initial assessments of the conditions of his fellow crew-men. </p><p>There were eight people in the landing party - Jim, himself, and Spock, Lt. Uhura, Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott, Security Officer Lynda Chekowski, and two young biologists - Enseign Tommy Ramsy, and Enseign Gordon Schmidt.</p><p>Lt. Uhura was sitting next to Scotty, visibly shaken up, but otherwise physically fine. Enseign Ramsy was clutching his knees, sobbing silently, as Officer Chekowski and Enseign Schmidt knelt over him. Enseign Schmidt’s nose was bleeding from the impact with the ground, but he too was otherwise fine. McCoy knelt and gave Ramsy a hypo to help him relax, and gave Schmidt a cold towel to hold to his nose to stop the bleeding.</p><p>“The Enterprise is approaching the planet, and will meet us at a rendezvous point about eight miles from here for beam-up. Everyone okay?”</p><p>“Other than being shaken up, we’re all okay Jim.” McCoy replied. Then he muttered to Jim, “thank God for small favours.” He then proceeded to take a small container out of his bag, and gave each person a hypo for vertigo and nausea.</p><p>The effects of the hypo on each person were immediate - this was one of McCoy’s favorite meds to administer, because it made people perk right up almost instantaneously. Five minutes later, they had all started to get up, check their belongings, and prepare for the trek to the rendezvous point. The two Ensigns, in their nervous energy, had begun a fit of giggles, and even Scotty and Lt. Lynda had begun to chuckle, as everyone shook off the dust and began recounting their versions of what happened as they had been violently phased / ripped out of the void they had been held captive in.</p><p>McCoy put away his med-kit, pleased with his handiwork, and how he had managed to lift everyone’s spirits with a simple spray.</p><p>Wait. </p><p>Everyone except for…</p><p>A wave of cold terror washed over McCoy. Jim must have come to the same realization as him at the same moment, for he stopped walking so abruptly, McCoy almost walked into him.</p><p>They turned simultaneously to face the rest of the landing party, and said at once, “where’s Spock?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. They find Spock and he is not Well</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I guess this entire story will pretty much be a sick-fic...! I love Spock whump, and I am having so much fun writing this.<br/>PS it makes my day, literally, when people comment on my writing! It’s still so cool how on the other sides of the world people read what I typed and then give me feedback!<br/>~Your Boi Elton N.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Mister Spock!”, bellowed Jim into the open desert around them, “Mister Spock!”</p><p>“Spock, canya’ hear us?!” called Scotty.</p><p>Lt. Linda, ready on the defense, pulled out a phaser, and the young biologists clumsily followed her lead. McCoy took out his tricorder, and had begun to re-calibrate it to check for Vulcan life signs, but it ended up being unnecessary, for -</p><p>“Over there!” Lt. Uhura cried, gesturing to a sand dune in the near distance.</p><p>A blue-sleeved, green-tinted hand had shot up into the air to announce its owner’s location.</p><p>“Spock!” Jim and McCoy exchanged the briefest of glances acknowledging their shared confusion and concern, then started toward their first officer at a run. The rest of the landing party followed, Lt. Linda, Scotty, Uhura, and the two ensigns armed and ready to cover if necessary. </p><p>McCoy was suddenly flooded with a hot surge of guilt for overlooking Spock in his preliminary medical examinations. Spock must have been on the ground behind the sand dune this entire time! Everyone had been in such rough shape after the dimensional shift - himself included - he had been so preoccupied, that the alien officer’s well-being never even crossed his mind.</p><p>The green hand shot up again, this time holding up an index finger, clearly intending to say “wait a minute”, then was weakly lowered again. </p><p>Jim slowed his pace, and held out a hand for McCoy to do the same. The rest of the party followed their lead, and came to a stop, a few yards away from the sand dune. </p><p>“Mister Spock?” the captain asked, firmly but hesitantly.</p><p>No answer. </p><p>Jim turned to the party, and ordered, “wait here for us. Lt. Linda, keep us covered. Scotty, you’re in charge.” He turned and gave McCoy a slight nod, and they hesitantly began walking to the other side of the sand dune.</p><p>As the two officers rounded the edge, McCoy’s face once again began to burn with guilt, for they could see Spock on all fours, struggling to catch his breath, his head hanging weakly, his eyes closed. He was curled in slightly on his left side where his stomach was, and there was a small puddle of sick on the sand below him.</p><p>Jim quickly glanced at McCoy in surprise, but McCoy was already busy fumbling with his med-scanner, rushing to the Vulcan’s side.</p><p>Jim bent down in front of Spock, gently kicking sand over the throw-up beneath the Vulcan’s shoulders. McCoy’s scanner buzzed and beeped.</p><p>“Can you give him anything?” Jim asked anxiously.</p><p>“Well I WOULD be able to, if his ears weren’t so damn pointy!” McCoy growled.</p><p>Jim understood. Conventional human medicine was mostly ineffective on Vulcans. There had been situations in the past where medications McCoy had tried had mixed poorly with Spock’s system - and caused him discomfort, had the opposite of the desired effect, or did nothing at all.</p><p>“Spock?” Jim asked hesitantly?</p><p>At this, Spock raised his head slowly to look at Jim. McCoy saw his patient begin to move, and he quickly rushed to Jim’s side to face Spock, as his med-scanner processed the data it had just taken. The Vulcan’s flushed face was shining with sweat (alarming in itself because pure Vulcans were not capable of sweating, and Spock rarely ever did), his eyes green-rimmed and streaming, his nose running. </p><p>Spock looked at his two friends for a moment, acknowledged their frantic concern with an involuntary half-smile of genuine amusement and embarrassment, then shut his eyes again. </p><p>Spock croaked, “gentlemen, as much as I appreciate your concern -” he stopped abruptly and hung his head as another wave of sickness threatened to overtake him.</p><p>Jim quickly stood up and turned away to give the Vulcan as much privacy as he could. As Spock breathed rapidly, fighting against his body’s overwhelming urge, McCoy knelt by his side. He was silently punishing himself for having forgotten to check on Spock. </p><p>Jim tried to gesture over his shoulder for McCoy to give Spock some space, but McCoy, tormented by the knowledge that there was nothing in his med-kit that could help the alien, saw nothing but the suffering Vulcan in front of him, missing Jim’s cue entirely.</p><p>For a minute, they were all still. The only sound was Spock’s rapid, shallow breathing. Jim became aware of how quickly his heart was beating, and took a few more steps away. McCoy’s face burned, as he sat crouched, voyeuristically, while Spock stared at a spot on the ground between his hands as his body shook. McCoy’s guilt grew worse and worse as the seconds dragged on.</p><p>Finally, McCoy couldn’t take it anymore. </p><p>“Spock, I think you’re okay..” he said gently.</p><p>Jim turned around. “Bones, just give him a sec-”</p><p>“-I know what I’m doing Jim!”</p><p>“I know you do, but can you just-”</p><p>McCoy stood up. “Listen, who’s the doctor here? I am trying to -”</p><p>But just what McCoy was trying to do, Jim would never know, because his retort was cut short by a sudden, weak gagging sound from Spock.</p><p>Jim immediately turned back around and took a few steps away. McCoy, heart dropping in his chest, quickly knelt back down beside Spock. He watched Spock’s pale face contort as he tried to fight for control.</p><p>McCoy, for some unknown reason, was tempted to put a hand on the Vulcan’s trembling shoulder - but refrained. Had this been literally anybody else from the enterprise crew, literally any human, McCoy would have been able to end this with a simple hypo. But this was Spock, the one being he could not treat him the way he knew how. Instead he satisfied himself by saying gently, “Spock, it’s okay...”</p><p>Almost as if Spock acknowledged this by giving up the fight, he squeezed his eyes shut and his body contracted violently, and he threw up silently onto the sand. It looked horrible. Vulcan insides were definitely not made for this. McCoy wondered briefly if he should have listened to Jim and given Spock some privacy, but remained unable to peel his eyes off the suffering Vulcan. He muttered again, unnecessarily, “it’s okay Spock…” Spock shuddered, and then heaved two more times, before dissolving into a fit of choking.</p><p>McCoy, relieved he could finally help, rushed forward, and helped guide Spock into a sitting position. Spock, shaking too hard to object, allowed the doctor to move him, then rested his forehead on his knees in an attempt to stop his head from spinning.</p><p>McCoy looked up. “Jim - water?”</p><p>Kirk turned and walked toward his friends, pulling a water flask out of his bag. He unscrewed the lid, and handed it to McCoy, who, with shaking hands, brought it to Spock’s lips.</p><p>Spock looked up at McCoy and the water, and frowned slightly, leaning away from the water.</p><p>McCoy put a firm hand on Spock’s back, preventing him from moving further away. “No Spock. You will drink.”</p><p>Spock, eyes in and out of focus, feebly swatted the doctor’s hand away. “Doctor McCoy,” he said shakily, “your concern does not go unappreciated, however I assure you that -”</p><p>“The hell you do!!” McCoy bellowed.</p><p>“Bones!” Jim interjected.</p><p>“Damnit Jim, this man just got phased out of an unknown dimension, with NO medical intervention at all. We’re all lucky enough to have had those hypos, but -”</p><p>“Doctor”, Spock interrupted weakly, head pounding worse and worse with every word either of his two friends shouted, “your overreaction is quite-”</p><p>“OVERREACTION?! Why you ungrateful, green-blooded-”</p><p>“Bones, enough!” Kirk bellowed. “Spock, we don’t know what we are dealing with here. I ORDER you to comply with any measure my chief medical officer sees fit for your well-being. That is an order. Do you understand?”</p><p>Spock raised an eyebrow, then lowered it again weakly. </p><p>“Understood Captain.”</p><p>Kirk looked at McCoy, exchanging no words, but telling him with his eyes to remain silent.</p><p>Spock lowered his head to his knees, cradled his gut with his arms, and closed his eyes. McCoy’s face burned once more, as he watched Spock. Why was he so ill-equipped to help him all the time? Why was it always so hard?</p><p>As McCoy quietly punished himself, the three officers sat unspeaking, wondering whether or not Spock would have the strength to make the eight mile trek to the rendezvous point for beam-up.</p>
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